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G. T. R. [EACHI SPOOL HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, m9.

3 1, 3 10,576 Patented July 22, 1919.

* unrrnn srATns Parana. onnioa.

GLOSSIE'T. LEACI-I, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPOOL-HOLDER.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 22, 1919.

Application filed February 4, 1919. Serial No, 274,834.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that LGnossrE T.'R. LEACH,

a citizenof the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of. Pennsylvania, have invented or. discovered new and useful Improvements in Spool-Holders, of which the following is a specification. V m

My invention consists in a new and improved holder for spools of sewing thread, and for similar purposes.

The object in view is theprovision of a spool holder of inexpensive construction and of neat and .attractive appearance, and which will support a plurality of spools in such a manner that the desired quantity of thread may be unwound from an individual spool and cut off at the desired length withoutunwinding an excess of thread from the spool, or loosening the remaining coils of thread thereon, or disturbing the thread on the other spools. i

My improved spoolv holder, hereinafter .described, presents novel features of construction and arrangement of parts.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved spool holder, Fig. 2 is a top plan view zo f the modification shown in Fig. 4:; Fig. 3is an enlargedvertical section taken along the line III-III in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an end view showing a modification also shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail of one of thespool spindles and its mounting in the base plate of the frame, and Fig. 6 is a detail, in perspective, showing a portion of the thread guide bar... 1 i

The following is a detailed descriptionof the drawings.

A is the base plate provided with a sufficient bottom bearing surface to insure the holder against easily tipping over. B and B are standards mounted on either end of the plate A, and either slightly inclined rearwardly, as in Figs. 1 and 3, or vertical, as in Figs. 2 and 4. G is the top plate, hinged at one end to the top of the standard B and capable of swinging in the plane of the standards. When lowered or shut, the other end of the plate C rests upon the upper end of the standard B and may be secured thereto by any convenient means, as by the lock 1.

The frame of the spool holder, composed of the members A, B, B and C, may be of hard wood, thereby obtaining the necessary strength, rigidity and lightness.

D represents a plurality of wooden or metal spindles whose lower ends are fixed in sockets 2 in theplate A and which extend upwardly in the plane of the standards and'are inserted in sockets 8 in the plate C when the latter is shut. 4 represents double leaf springs associated with thespindles- These springs may be conveniently formed of lengths of spring wire, whose centers occupy transverse holes in the upper portions of the spindles, while their ends are inserted inthe sockets 2 on either side ofthev spindles D.

When the top plate G is raised or open the thread spools E may be mounted on the spindles, and the plate C is then closed, the upper ends of the spindles entering the sockets 3. Thus the spools cannot be removed from the spindles without first unlocking" and opening the plate C. The springs Jaretard the rotation of the spools on the spindles when tension is applied to the thread ends, so that only the desired amount of thread is drawn from the spool.

F is the thread guide bar, preferably of brass;;or metal or wood, extending in front of .the' spindles D and the spools mounted thereornand secured to thewoodenframe by the provision of rearwardly curved ends which: may be attached to the front faces of the standards B and B, as by the screws 5.

. The upper face of the bar F is provided Withadongitudinal trough or channel 6 defined at the sides by the front and rea .edgefianges7 and 8 respectively.

1 1.1 11 front of each of the spindles D said flanges 7 and 8 are provided with a pair of alined thread guide slots 9. 10 represents small leaf springs fixed in the channel 6 and extending across the plane of the thread guide slots. The thread end 11 of the spool is led through the rear slot 9, under the corresponding spring 10 and out through the front slot 9, as best shown in Fig. 6. Thus a pull on the thread end will rotate the spool E and draw the required amount of thread out through the slots in the guide bar, the thread being prevented from jumping from the slots by the leaf spring.

12 represents double edged knives depending from the front face of the bar F at convenient intervals, so that when the desired length of thread has been drawn out through the guide bar, the thread may be hooked around a knife and severed'by a sharp jerk.

WVhen the holder is loaded with spools of thread, the thread end of each spool is brought out through the adjacent slots 9 in the guide bar F and under the corresponding leaf spring 10, so thatthe protruding thread end 11 may be seized and drawn out, as needed. The inclination which I prefer to give to the standards B and B facilitates the turning of the thread around theknife 12, in the severing operation, as the forward extension of theknife makes it more convenient, or the standards may be perpendicular to the base and the holder may be held in an inclined position with one hand while the thread is drawn out and severedwith the other hand, The spool holder may be attached to a table or other support, in which case I prefer to use the rearwardly inclined frame, or it may be unattached to a support and held in the hand when thread "is to be taken off.

My holder is adapted for use in connection with the use of thread, underany conditions of sewing, such as in astore or workroom, but I have especially designed it for use in connection With the household arts departments of schools, in which cases I design it to provide places for the number of spools of different sizes, of thread usually employed in such work. By looking the top plate shut, unauthorized removal of the spools is avoided and the school" supplies are thus conserved, and the consumption of thread is economized. Again, the thread cannot tangle, b ut'the short thread ends are alwaysproperly presented, so as to-'be con veniently grasped with the fingers.

What I desire to claim is 1. In combination with a spoolholder in which spools of thread are rotatably mounted in an upright position, athread guidevbar mounted horizontally in front of the spools,

, described.

2. In combination with a spool holder in which spoolsofthread are rotatably mounted in an upright position, a thread guide bar mounted horizontally in front of said spools, said guide bar being providedwith pairs of alinedslotsfor the passage of the thread ends, and leaf springsmounted on salidbar between, said slots and holding the thread downion said bar to prevent it jumping from said slots. v

3. In combination with a spool holder in which spools of thread are rotatably mounted in an upright position, a thread guide bar horizontally mounted in front of the spools and being of upwardly turned channel cross section, the channel flanges being provided with a pair of alined slots in front of each spool through which the thread ends are led, and means mounted on said bar for holding the thread against the bottom of the channelto prevent their jumping from said slots. i

at. In combination with a spool holder in which spools of thread are rotatably mounted in an upright position, a thread. guide bar horizontally mounted in front of the spools and'being of upwardly turned channel cross section, the channel flanges being provided with a-pair of alinedslotsin front of each spool through which the thread ends are led, and leaf springs mounted on said bar and holding the thread against the bot tom of the channel between the flanges to preventthe thread jumping from the slots. Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 30th day of January, 1919.

GLOSSIE T. R,

Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. l i 

